So last night at the local brewery some firefighters in my town who grew up boxing and are now trying MMA said that any top level boxer would beat any top level Pride, K-1, UFC or Bodog (Fedor) fighter in a real street fight. I was polite at first, but they really had a poor opinion of MMA fighers, so I just said it really wasn't worth talking about.

What are some objective points I can express to them other than a few basics about mastering 3+ arts and combining them in to one fighting style is far more effective than solely knowing how to throw fists?

They countered with an assertion that any real boxer would knock out a grappler or wrestler before a take down could happen. I tried telling about Gracie BJJ, Dan Sevren, Matt Hughes etc, and about fighting from the clinch etc and how many great fighters of other arts had tried to master MMA such as BJ Penn. But they weren't hearing it, claiming a shoot fighter or any other style couldn't get close enough and that the best fighters in the world aren't going to MMA and retired ones don't think it's a more effective fighting style than boxing. I tried to explain that any stand up guy does have a punchers chance and could beat the best MMA guy and that chance was about 1 in 10 (that really pissed them off).

The one area I'm personally wondering about is does an average pro boxer have better stand up in a street fight situation than an average MMA striker, and could any MMA fighter in history stand up to a Tyson or Ali in a street fight and how would a rule of no ground game effect the result?

Chrisy Moltisanti wrote:So last night at the local brewery some firefighters in my town who grew up boxing and are now trying MMA said that any top level boxer would beat any top level Pride, K-1, UFC or Bodog (Fedor) fighter in a real street fight. I was polite at first, but they really had a poor opinion of MMA fighers, so I just said it really wasn't worth talking about.

What are some objective points I can express to them other than a few basics about mastering 3+ arts and combining them in to one fighting style is far more effective than solely knowing how to throw fists?

They countered with an assertion that any real boxer would knock out a grappler or wrestler before a take down could happen. I tried telling about Gracie BJJ, Dan Sevren, Matt Hughes etc, and about fighting from the clinch etc and how many great fighters of other arts had tried to master MMA such as BJ Penn. But they weren't hearing it, claiming a shoot fighter or any other style couldn't get close enough and that the best fighters in the world aren't going to MMA and retired ones don't think it's a more effective fighting style than boxing. I tried to explain that any stand up guy does have a punchers chance and could beat the best MMA guy and that chance was about 1 in 10 (that really pissed them off).

The one area I'm personally wondering about is does an average pro boxer have better stand up in a street fight situation than an average MMA striker, and could any MMA fighter in history stand up to a Tyson or Ali in a street fight and how would a rule of no ground game effect the result?

There are two ways a boxer can beat a MMA fighter:
1. The boxer hits hard enough that he knocks the MMA guy out when he shoots.
2. The boxer has a fast and accurate enough jab that he can keep the MMA guy off of him the entire fight.

Boxers think that they are the toughest guys around, but look at Kit Cope, for example - world champion kickboxer, and he got the crap pounded out of him multiple times in the UFC because he couldn't defend the takedown...

brewcrew4you wrote:There are two ways a boxer can beat a MMA fighter:1. The boxer hits hard enough that he knocks the MMA guy out when he shoots.2. The boxer has a fast and accurate enough jab that he can keep the MMA guy off of him the entire fight.

Boxers think that they are the toughest guys around, but look at Kit Cope, for example - world champion kickboxer, and he got the crap pounded out of him multiple times in the UFC because he couldn't defend the takedown...

Or 3, have it a boxing match. I'm pretty sure that boxers would have a tough time posting up Shaq or hitting a Zumaya fastball too. MMA and boxing are completely different sports. I'm not much of a gambler anymore, but I would definitely take my chances that a boxer would have a better shot winning a MMA than I would a MMA fighter winning a boxing match.

The lunging jabs and looping overhead hooks that most MMA fighters rely on would get them knocked out fairly quick in a boxing ring. Just like a boxer would be in a world of hurt against a strong takedown fighter like Koscheck or Hughes.

Of course. But this has all been spurred on by high profile boxers and media personalities (such as Lampley) running their mouths. These are the guys saying they can enter MMA rules and dominate. It wasn't the other way around.

Maine has a good swing for a pitcher but on anything that moves, he has no chance. And if it's a fastball, it has to be up in the zone. Basically, the pitcher has to hit his bat. - Mike Pelfrey